Midnight's Shadow
by AusFreak
Summary: The story continues on from the end of New Moon. Victoria appears, and Bella is forced to make an impossibly difficult decision, resulting in her losing one of the people she loves most. As she copes with this, some old "friends" decide to visit...
1. Chapter 1

_The whistling gust that passed through the town and stripped it of its loose debris was not a patterned weather course. The chill that ran down every human's spine as they slept—unbeknownst to them—had not been due to the climate or season, but was something else entirely. _

_The unnatural storm blew overhead with as much malice as could be mustered; this was the work of something abnormal, something not human._

_A cloaked figure bustled through the sleeping town, past homes and playgrounds, past offices and small factories, to an unkempt forest that was almost beyond the borders of where animals roamed. The forest was darker even than the night's glare, and the creature's black cloak. The place emanated danger and hopelessness—if a human were to wander, there would be no return._

_But the being that had strolled through the town and wreaked its own playful havoc showed no hesitation at traipsing further—through the overgrown ferns; the widespread trees, whose branches ripped at a person's skin harshly— and onward. The figure was graceful, almost unbelievably so, as it crossed the undergrowth and sly plants that wound themselves around unsuspecting victims with ease. This individual, however, merely seemed to fly through them, unscathed and without deliberation._

* * *

I swept my curtains aside with a flourish. It was more of a dramatic gesture than to actually allow sunlight flow into my room, because the sun was very rarely visible in Forks. Unfortunately, today the sky was a timid blue, and there was not a cloud to be seen. The sun pulsed with a pale yellow gleam, pleased to be free of its rainy tomb.

I sighed. As much as I'd always despised the cold, gloomy days that Forks was renowned for, it was more or less an essential now.

I knew that Edward wouldn't be coming to school today, of course, as it was every time the town had a rare sunny day. This was understandable. When the sun hit Edward, his skin shimmered like glitter, and refracted the light like a thousand rainbows. It was a breathtaking effect, sure, but it was obvious why he couldn't go outside—the others may have found it a _little_ odd, if Edward turned up to class looking like a disco ball.

I shoved the curtains shut and crossed my arms in annoyance. I hated days without Edward; they always seemed to drag on, to the point where I was almost sick with impatience.

Downstairs, I walked into the kitchen to see Charlie eating breakfast—cereal, as usual. It was a good thing that he didn't have to cook most of the time, or we'd probably be eating 2-minute noodles or microwave meals every night. Ugh.

Charlie stared straight ahead of him in a weary daze, unblinking, not yet realizing that his bowl of cereal was empty. I needed to ask him something, but was starting to wonder whether I should bother bringing him out of his stupor. I took a risk and asked him anyway.

"Dad?" I said tentatively, half expecting him not to answer.

He jolted suddenly and rotated in his chair to face me. I could see his mouth bulging with the amount of food he'd crammed in.

"Mm?" Milk started to trickle down his face and I waited for him to swallow.

"I was wondering…" I hesitated. "Could you give me a lift to school today?"

I knew that this would bring up questions that I didn't want to answer. I turned out to be right.

His eyes narrowed. "What happened to _Edward_?" His voice was slightly acidic.

I scowled at him, wondering what excuse would be the most believable. How could I subtly explain that my boyfriend was supernaturally gifted? Of course, even if I could, I wouldn't.

Charlie frowned harder at my hesitation, and I decided on something simple.

"He's…" _A vampire._ "He's not well."

"Hmm."

I was getting increasingly annoyed by Charlie's attitude towards Edward—he never gave him a break.

Charlie turned back to his empty cereal bowl dismissively, but I hadn't finished with the conversation. Leaning on the kitchen bench so as to steady myself and slow my breathing, I demanded, "So?"

"What's wrong with your truck?" he asked cuttingly.

_My vampire boyfriend cut off all ways of me being able to sneak out and visit my werewolf best friend._ Again, not subtle enough to say out loud. Not _normal _enough to say out loud. It'd have Charlie rushing me to a mental hospital, quick smart.

"It's acting up."

"I can fix it," Charlie offered.

"It's alright," I assured him quickly, "Edward said he'd repl—umm, take a look at it for me."

Charlie shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine."

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Bella!"

I heard Mike's voice as I was clambering gratefully out of Charlie's patrol car. It wasn't the most inconspicuous of vehicles, that was for sure, and I hated having to be driven to school in it.

I turned to face Mike as he continued to yell my name enthusiastically.

I'd always affiliated Mike's personality with a golden retriever—happy, friendly, and always over-eagerly willing to help. For the first ten months or so following my arrival in Forks, he had relentlessly exhibited this behaviour. However, when Edward left, and I became a shell of a human being, I not only lost contact with Mike—even though I saw him everyday; I was in too much emotional pain to socialise—but every one of my friends. And when I finally pulled myself together, convinced myself to permanently evict my mind zombie—who had been kindly staying put—and put a weak, but reassuring smile on my face, Mike, and most of my other friends, were only too glad to forgive me.

But when Edward returned, so did Mike's hostility, and I'd assumed that this was a final notion. Apparently, I was wrong.

His eyes were brighter than they usually were when he looked at me these days; his whole being exuberated happiness. I raised an eyebrow in question and smiled timidly at him. You can never really tell with Mike.

He stopped in front of me, grinning and gasping for breath. "Hey!"

"Um, hi, Mike," I said; friendly, but with a tinge of apprehension in my voice. "What's up?"

"I heard that _Edward_ wasn't coming today," Mike said, ignoring my question. He tried to drop the smile from his features, but his glee was badly concealed.

Feeling a little suspicious, I frowned. "Who told you that?"

A crease formed between Mike's eyebrows, as if he was worried that his information was wrong. "Edward did. He was going to help me fix my car."

Realisation dawned on me; all my suspicions disappeared. Of course—Edward had been putting effort into getting on good terms with Mike.

"That's right," I said, trying to smile. "I forgot."

Again, he ignored me. "Listen," his voice slid from his normal, friendly yell, to a low whisper. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh?"

I glanced around the parking lot. Thanks to Charlie's strict work mornings, I had arrived to school ridiculously early. Mike's Suburban was the only car there.

"Yes," Mike bobbed his head. "It's about… the Cullens."

I sucked in a large amount of air. This couldn't be good. Maybe Mike hadn't forgiven me after all; maybe he only wanted to get the newest gossip on the town's weirdest family.

Mike didn't seem to notice my stiffened body stance. His eyes glinted eagerly.

"Well," he continued, staring at a point over my left shoulder in concentration, "don't you think that it's a little bit… odd?"

"Odd?" I repeated; my stomach twisted with dread.

"Their reappearance!" he pressed keenly.

It was clear to me that he'd waited until Edward wasn't with me to bring this up. I could tell by the urgency in his voice that he'd wanted to discuss this for a while.

"How they just… came back, I mean." Mike looked at me, all friendliness gone, as if he thought I knew the answer.

I dropped my gaze and nudged a rock with my foot.

"Th-they didn't like New York, remember, Mike?" I stammered, starting to feel uncomfortable.

Mike twisted one of the sides of his lips up thoughtfully, and then shook his head. I swore, mentally.

"I don't think they were in New York, Bella."

"Of course they were!" I said sharply, letting my voice rise a few octaves.

The conversation's purpose was becoming clearer, and it hurt me slightly to know that Mike hadn't really wanted to talk to _me_, after all.

"Of course they were," I repeated, my voice not wavering this time.

He scowled. "Right."

I glared at him. "What's so unbelievable about it, then?"

Mike seemed to have expected this, like he'd lined up his whole side of the conversation days ago.

"For one," he said slowly, "you always have this weird grimace every time someone asks Edward or Alice about it." He paused. "Oh, and when you were at work the other day, I heard you arguing with your dad over the phone. Did you really disappear to_ New York_ for three days, Bella?" He rolled his eyes.

My mouth fell open. Mike was more perceptive than I'd thought, and it bothered me.

Suddenly, Mike's tone turned from fervent to concerned.

"Are you two… together?" he asked me, ignoring my horrified expression.

_What?! _Replacing shock with fury, I stared up at his usually-joyful face with the most indignation I could muster.

"Not that it's any of your business," I fumed, "but yes!"

Mike clenched his jaw, sensing my anger.

"How could you forgive him, Bella?" he asked me sadly.

I stared straight ahead and refused to acknowledge his question.

"I mean it, Bella! He hurt you so much, _why_ would you let him get away with that?"

"Stop it, Mike," I mumbled. "Don't even start."

And just like that, he was shouting at me.

"For God's sake, Bella! Stop being so protective of him! What's so good about him that's worth it? He shattered you—I saw that! He hurt you and then ran off to _God-knows-where_, and he left you here by yourself, completely miserable, while he was in a different part of the _country_! He didn't even call to make sure you're okay! And then months later, he dares to come back here—he _dares_ to show his face—and you forgive the guy!?" Mike stopped abruptly, and breathed in. "It's really pretty pathetic of you."

I recoiled. My breathing quickened and my eyes filled with tears. I fought to keep them from spilling out and showing him how much he'd just hurt me—and it wasn't just what he'd said, but it reflected the way someone else thought, as well.

My throat croaked when I tried to say something, and so I gave up, turned on my heel and sprinted away. I needed to escape from Mike's words.

"Bella!" he yelled. I ignored him and continued to run.

I ran past the office and through the school, until I couldn't hear him yelling anymore. I forced my way into an empty classroom and slumped to the ground, finally letting my emotions overcome me.

* * *

I'd managed to avoid Mike for the rest of the day. Every time he would swivel in his chair in class, or try to catch me between lessons, I would ignore him and turn my head away coldly. I couldn't find words for what I felt, and I wouldn't let him see how much his speech had fuelled my insecurities, and sparked memories of a previous conversation I'd had with someone I cared for a whole lot more.

At lunch, I talked to Angela and Ben, and took no notice to the eyes that never left my face. I didn't catch his expression, because I never met his gaze, but I knew it was one of scrutiny and curiosity. I glared out at the sun and flawless blue sky accusingly. This wouldn't have happened if Forks had stuck to its normal weather. Not if Edward had been here.

Eventually—after the impossible length of time I'd expected—the school day had ended, and I was forced to walk home, still infuriated over what had happened earlier that morning.

My angry steps thudded against the pavement and my hands were balled into fists.

People driving past me in the street glanced at me briefly through their car windows, before I was lost from their view.

When I arrived at home, I was slightly calmer. Time had helped me talk sense into myself. It also helped that the aging sky was now a greyer shade than before, and would soon enough sink into the beautiful nothingness of night. I would see Edward soon, and the thought of him being here instantly pushed all previous hurt from my mind.

I finished my Biology homework and started dinner to occupy my mind. If it wavered from thoughts of seeing Edward, I knew who it would linger on. I couldn't think of them—_wouldn't_—tonight. I'd managed to spend a whole week without pausing to reflect on what I was going to do about Jacob, and the argument with Mike wasn't going to ruin that.

"How was your day, Bells?" Charlie called from the doorway.

Hm. He _seemed _to be in a better mood.

"Fine." I stabbed the sauce I was stirring with a wooden spoon as I said it, and it spat out at me, leaving my face covered in tomato-y goo. "Ergh."

"Sure you're okay?" Charlie had noticed my violence directed at the food.

"Yeah," I sighed, "it's nothing."

I prayed that he would leave it at that; I was in no way on good enough terms with Charlie at the moment to discuss anything that affected my emotions. If I did, I'd probably lose it completely. Charlie wouldn't even see it coming.

There was only one person I wanted to talk to tonight.

Charlie raised one of his eyebrows in disbelief, but sensing my obvious hostility, he merely harrumphed and sat on the couch. He switched on the TV and was soon lost to the world of reality. Thank God.

That is, until the doorbell rang. I jerked my head up, hope rushing through me, and dropped the paper towel I'd been wiping my face with. My heart leapt.

Charlie wrenched his eyes reluctantly from his football game, and grumbled something incoherent.

I skipped to the entranceway and pulled the door open eagerly, grinning.

He was standing there, smiling back. I ran my eyes across his face longingly—his liquid, caramel eyes, pale skin—radiating in the moonlight—, his mouth, twisted upward crookedly in my favourite smile, and his angled jaw. His bronze, usually perfect-looking hair was slightly more ruffled, as if he'd been running his hands through it for most of the day.

"Hi," I said softly. It always took my breath away, seeing him. He was… beyond the definition of perfect.

Edward reached forward and hugged me tightly, protectively. I saw something flash in his hand briefly before his arm wrapped around me. We stood there for a long moment, but eventually Charlie coughed pointedly, and he let me go.

Once again, I looked at his hand.

"New phone?" I queried.

He smirked, obviously knowing something I didn't. "Alice rang me on the way here. She… saw something."

I tilted my head to the side, wondering. Alice's visions were usually interesting.

"Charlie's going to throw something at you?" I guessed.

Edward laughed. "No…" He looked past me to see Charlie glaring at him from the couch. "He's thinking about it, though."

I was, as usual, glad to be the exception to Edward's mind-reading talent. I wanted to avoid the topic of whom _I'd_ like to throw something at.

"So what is it?" I asked impatiently.

Edward's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, but the knowing smile didn't leave his lips. "Why am I going to be confronting Mike Newton tomorrow?"

_Dammit!_ I gulped. Edward scrutinised the unwilling expression on my face. His smile faded.

"What did he say?" He clenched his jaw together.

I trembled. "Don't worry about it." My eyes were pleading.

"Bella." He lifted my chin up, and I could see the worry flash in his eyes.

"I-it's nothing," I said, attempting confidence and failing dismally.

A hiss escaped his lips, and his posture tensed.

"He hurt you?" Edward asked me.

I shook my head. "No… no, he just…"

"Said something?"

"Yeah… well, sort of. It was more what he implied."

"What?" He let out a low sigh. "Sometimes I hate that I can't see what you're thinking."

"Sometimes?" I was surprised. I'd figured that Edward had always partly resented me for being the exception to the rule.

"Well…" He paused and looked thoughtful. "Relationships are built on trust. How would I learn to trust you, when I could read your every thought? I wouldn't have to! And how would _you_ trust me?"

"I guess that makes sense."

"So now," he leaned forward and gazed into my eyes, "I _trust_ you to tell me what Mike said to you."

I cringed. I couldn't resist Edward's gaze.

"He said… that it was pathetic of me to forgive you for leaving, and that you didn't deserve it."

Edward leaned back, surprised. "That's it?"

I frowned. Of course Edward would think it melodramatic of me to be upset, but part of me had wished he'd seen why that was. I wasn't going to mention Jacob's name.

I decided to tell _part_ of the truth. "I feel like he was thinking a bit more than just that," I said carefully. "It was like… he was saying I was a bad friend to him, for forgiving you."

I scowled into the motionless darkness behind Edward, spotting his silver Volvo, and the barely distinguishable forest beyond the road.

"Would you like me to set him straight?" Edward said lightly.

I looked at my feet. "No, don't worry."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, alright." He smiled again, and stroked my hair, reassuring me. I smiled back, glad that _that_ part of the conversation was over.

"So, can I come in now?" Edward flashed his teeth, laughing. "Or were you planning to stay out here all night?"

"I wasn't, but you can," I teased. "Charlie might like that."

We both walked into the house, my arm around his waist, and Charlie looked up again from the television. His gaze was disapproving.

"Hello, Edward," he muttered bitterly. "Feeling better, I take it?"

"Yes, thankyou, Charlie," Edward replied politely. I looked up at him and smiled in amazement. After the way Charlie treated Edward, he still maintained his charm.

We stayed downstairs for a while—knowing that Edward was here, Charlie wasn't going to let me out of his sight for a second—and talked. I was amazed at how much I'd truly missed Edward; after all, it had been less than twenty-four hours since I'd seen him last. He told me about his incredibly boring day, and how he'd wished that he could see me, but instead, he and Alice had played blackjack. Edward made a face. It wouldn't be much of a game for them, come to think of it: with Edward's mind-reading, he'd know what cards Alice would have, and Alice would use her predictions to see what cards she'd pick up. I laughed at the thought.

At nine-thirty, Edward and I put Charlie under the pretence that we fully intended to abide by his curfew. We acted out our goodbyes at the door, and then I said goodnight to Charlie and went up to my room.

He was there, waiting, as always. We talked further into the night—quietly, so as to not arouse suspicion—, and then I reluctantly fell asleep in his arms. Sometimes I felt guilty falling asleep and leaving him lying there with nothing to do. Vampires couldn't sleep, and so he spent most nights watching me, and thinking. I couldn't imagine it being especially entertaining for him.

But when I woke up, he was still there, having not moved at all. I smiled instantly when I saw him—it was the best way to wake up. Dazed, I yawned, and he released me from his cradling arms and stood up.

"I'll pick you up in an hour," he promised, and jumped out the window silently. And he was gone. I looked out the window for a moment, wistful, and then started getting ready.

An hour passed, and when I was rinsing the dishes from breakfast, I heard the doorbell ring. Charlie scowled at me. I ignored him.

"Bye!" I called. He didn't answer. I didn't really care.

I flung the door open and laughed when Edward was already in the car. He was grinning at me. I hopped into the passenger's seat, and looked forward to another speedy ride to school. Edward loved driving fast, so much that I almost feared for my life. But I didn't—I'd learned to trust his driving, and his insanely fast reflexes.

"Looking forward to today?" Edward asked me with his eyes on the road.

"Wh—?" I was confused, but then it clicked. He was worried about what had happened yesterday. "Oh. I guess."

He looked almost pained at my reaction. "I really think I should talk to him."

"No!" I exclaimed. "Don't, honestly!"

Edward glanced at me, suspicion creeping up his face. "Is there something I don't know about this, Bella?"

I knew I had to tell him; it was unavoidable now. I was going to tell him the whole truth, and that would be that. No more talking about it.

"What Mike said… it reminded me of… Jacob." I winced.

I saw Edward's hands shake on the steering wheel for a split second, and shock flit across his eyes, but he regained himself and breathed through his nose.

"I see…" His eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no," I said, distressing. I didn't want him to be angry at me. "Forget I said it!"

"No. You meant it. You had every right to say it."

"I'm trying, Edward, I really am," I said, honestly.

He glanced at me again, and this time, he smiled weakly. "I know."

When we arrived at school, the parking lot was almost full. But of course, Edward managed to find a space. He always did.

As we walked past Rosalie's convertible, I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he hugged me with one of his arms. We strolled to our first class together, and past everyone to our table at the back. I lolled my head against his shoulder as the teacher droned on in a monotone. Suddenly, the arm that Edward had resting on my shoulder tensed. I looked at him questioningly, and saw his eyes fixated on something in front of us. I followed his gaze, and met Mike's glowering stare.

"Don't worry, don't worry," I repeated again to Edward quietly. His jaw clenched, and he looked down. Mike turned around.

When the class finally finished, the two of us hurried to our next lesson. I was glad that I had so many with Edward, because the thought of facing Mike alone almost scared me. It was incredibly stupid of me, to be honest. This was Mike! Friendly, overly-happy Mike. At least… that's who he used to be.

At lunch, Edward sensed my reservation and nudged me gently. "Are you okay?"

"She's fine," Alice assured him when I returned from my daze. "I get that all the time."

"She isn't getting premonitions, Alice," Edward reminded his sister.

"Oh, yeah."

"I _am_ fine," I told him quietly.

"By the way," Alice cut into the meaningful silence—she'd seen it all anyway, of course—, "I _think_ that you two might be meeting up with the werewolf later today. All I know is, you've suddenly disappeared…" she trailed off bitterly.

I jumped in shock, but Edward's eyes had narrowed several seconds before Alice had said anything. He'd heard her thoughts, and they shared a disgusted look.

"W-what? Are you serious, Alice?" I exclaimed. Jacob was coming to see me? That couldn't be right. Last time… I bit my lip. Last time hadn't ended so well. I pictured the painful expression on Jacob's face; that was the last thing I could remember.

"Of course I'm serious," she said incredulously. "The stupid dog makes my mind go blank. It's _beyond_ annoying." She pretended to pout. Edward chuckled.

My mind began to spiral out of control, and before long I was thinking intensely about those things I had banished from my mind. _Jacob, Jacob, Jacob…_It almost pained me to remember him. How much I'd hurt him, and how much I missed him.

Before I knew it, I was in my last class for the day, next to Edward. It startled me—how had I not noticed physically walking to the lesson? And then the bell rang, and we were walking outside, Edward and I. He was brooding, his mind on something just as consuming.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. He turned to me, still thinking.

"I know what the dog wants."

I winced at the tone and name he'd used when describing Jacob, but I supposed it was only fair. What had Jacob called him? _Blood-sucker, leech, parasite… _I frowned. The rivalry between wolves and vampires was ridiculous.

"Well?"

Edward's shoulders slumped slightly; I could tell he was upset.

"He wants to… tell you something."

"Which is…?" I persevered.

"Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," he muttered. I let my mouth fall open unhappily. Part of me hoped Jacob wouldn't turn up. It made Edward feel so… doubtful of me.

We were in his car now, driving down my street. Edward was driving even faster than usual, restless in meeting Jacob. But when we reached my house, he wasn't there.

All of a sudden, another car came screeching around the corner, coming closer and closer to us. Its tires squealed in complaint, and the smell of burning rubber lingered where the tar had acquired dark lines from the car's friction. Edward gasped in horror, and suddenly I recognised the car: Rosalie's convertible. I didn't know how it had taken me so long to realise; it was hardly unnoticeable. I saw Alice at the wheel in the rear-view mirror. Suddenly I realised why Rosalie's car had even been at school today—she, Emmett and Jasper had been seniors last year, they didn't go to school anymore.

Alice continued waving frantically at us, a look of fear tightening her features and making her eyes look crazy. Edward leapt out of the car and, before I could see him move, was at my door, opening it and helping me out. Alice skidded to a stop, and we all winced at the screeching sound.

"Bella!" Alice cried loudly, running towards me. I glanced up at Edward—his face was like stone. I couldn't read his expression, but I knew that it wasn't good. Edward nodded at Alice, apparently giving her the okay to tell me.

"Victoria is coming."

But before I had time to gasp in horror, an ear-splitting scream came from the forest. We all turned, wide-eyed. I knew that scream. I knew that voice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or anything to do with Twilight. Sigh.**

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter isn't too good; I just wrote it and wanted to publish it, so I haven't really edited anything... apologies for any spelling/grammer mistakes. Please review, if you can! I'd love to get feedback to hear if I should change anything for you guys to make my story more enjoyable to read! Anyways, hope you like it.**

* * *

_Edward's POV_

The three of us turned towards the forest at once. As soon as I'd heard the scream, I knew who it was. Bella knew as well—I saw her eyes widen in shock, and she lunged forward instinctively as if to run towards the ear-splitting sound.

Even though the voice had only ever been directed at me in sarcastic tones, I recognised the pitch. It was, without a doubt, Jacob. I narrowed my eyes and tried to see through the thick canopy of trees, trying uselessly to locate his position. What the hell was happening to him that had caused such a reaction?

Bella had gathered her thoughts, and her instincts became effective. She was still clearly shell-shocked, but she managed to scream, "_JACOB!_" and this time when she lunged forward, she truly intended to bolt to the source of the noise.

"No, Bella!" I said sharply, trying to keep my voice composed as a means of calming her.

Her head snapped up and she gazed at me in paralysed horror. "Edward, I have to help him!"

She tried once again to dash away from the car, but I reached out quickly and seized both of her arms to restrain her.

"_No_, Bella!" I insisted. "Victoria is out there—I can't let you go!" I glanced over at Alice briefly, hoping that she might have some insight to the situation. However, her face was an expressionless mask, and her eyes were blank. I would have to wait this one out.

"Edward!" Bella pleaded, trying to break my restraints. Her efforts were in vain, but she continued to tug. "_Let me go!_"

"I can't." Guilt settled in the pit of my stomach, and I felt like a monster for keeping her like this. But as much as I wanted to let her go—and as much as I wanted to go with her—I couldn't. I couldn't bear to let her go out there alone, with Victoria prowling around. I would not let that happen.

"He needs my help!" Bella yelled at me, anger taking over her previous panic. "I don't care about Victoria, dammit, Edward!"

"Just wait," I begged. "Wait until Alice knows what's going on."

"_He's a wolf_," she hissed at me, and I dropped my arms in shock, realising my mistake. "She's not going to see anything!"

"Then I'll go," I said calmly. "Let me go and see what's going on. You can stay here with Alice."

"The hell I will," Bella fumed.

I tried not to lose my temper. "Bella," I said slowly, "stay here."

Jacob's scream had long finished, and the forest was quiet. We both stared at the darkening area with apprehension. Anything could be in there. And now that I had no idea where Jacob was, it could take me hours to find his scent—and then what? Discover that it had all been a joke? That I'd risked Bella's life for a wolf's stupidity?

"Edward," Bella begged me, becoming desperate. She was obviously worried, as was I, that Jacob was no longer screaming. There was something much more frightening about the complete silence—something a whole lot more menacing.

I gave in. We had wasted enough time. I glanced a final time at Alice, who was still in her own vision, picked up Bella and ran towards the forest at top speed. I twisted in and out of the trees and jumped reflexively over the smaller vines that crept around ankle-height. My breathing stayed in rhythm as I sprinted towards where, approximately, I had heard Jacob's cry.

I was moving much too fast for Bella to be able to perceive anything about our surroundings—we could have been in the middle of the town, for all she knew—but still she looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend. It pained me to see her so worried.

Suddenly, I broke through the middle of the forest and into a clearing that I'd never seen before. I stopped so quickly that it knocked the breath out of Bella and I, and we both gasped in pain. It only took a few seconds for me to recover and then I swept my eyes across our new surroundings, and my questions were answered.

There was Jacob, unconscious. He was sprawled on the ground like a doll, completely still, and—my stomach lurched—bleeding severely, though I could not identify the wound responsible. I set Bella on her feet and neither of us moved; we just stood there in silence, engrossed in the sight that lay in front of us. I stared unblinkingly at him for a split second, trying to listen, trying to hear a heartbeat, but before I could, I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath.

A flash of red, to my right. I shifted my stance quickly, standing in front of Bella with my arms spread out. I looked around, assessing, but the red was gone. And then, suddenly, I heard a noise—almost unperceivable, Bella didn't hear it—and I turned to my left, protecting Bella all the while. And there stood Victoria, her mouth curled upwards in a snarl, her hair a wild red that had given her position away. She stood over Jacob's body—was he dead, I wondered?—like a lion with its prey. I felt Bella shudder behind me, and I curled my arms around her, reassuring her that I would not let anything happen.

"Victoria," I murmured calmly. She met my gaze for the first time, and I noticed that her eyes were a dark maroon—she was thirsty, and this was dangerous. Her nostrils were flared and her head was tilted. I shifted my feet. She could smell Bella.

"You're the boy," she accused furiously. Her voice was a deep cackle, and it represented the wickedness perfectly. "You're the boy that killed him." She clenched her fists.

"What have you done to him?" I indicated Jacob, trying to appear nonchalant, as if I didn't know him. If Victoria knew that she had someone we cared about, Jacob would not survive a matter of seconds—if he was still alive, that is. I shuddered at the thought.

"It's a wolf, boy, can you not tell?" Victoria appeared repulsed. "He tried to attack me, but in his human state—" she grinned cruelly, "—it was quite useless."

"What have you done?" I repeated, and she laughed. Her laughter was almost a screech, it was piercing and high-pitched, like nails down a chalkboard. I tried to remain serene.

"I bit him!" she announced proudly. Bella began to shake behind me, and I gripped her tightly to stop her from fainting.

"He reacted fairly horribly, too," she said, cocking her head in wonder. "I think our venom hurts them quite a bit more."

"Is he alive?" I asked gravely. I knew that there was little hope.

Her dark red eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's it to you? It's a _wolf_, didn't you hear me?"

I pretended to ignore her. "Why are you here?" As if I didn't already know the answer.

Victoria smiled maliciously again. "Ah," she grinned. "I thought we'd come to that." Her eyes darted to Bella, and she took a small step forward, testing me.

I started to growl. "You will not touch her!" I thundered, and Victoria took another step.

"She smells so…" Victoria closed her eyes and raised her head high, indulging in Bella's scent. "So _heavenly_."

I snarled. "Keep back!"

"Oh, dear Edward," she spat my name as if it were poisonous. "This is my revenge."

"Bella didn't hunt down James!" I bellowed. "She did nothing wrong."

"I disagree," Victoria growled. "She's with you, isn't she?"

She took another step, but I'd had enough. I let go of my hold on Bella and leapt forward, over Jacob and at Victoria. She had been expecting it, and whipped around, letting me fall to my knees, and then ran at me with immense speed. I dodged her, and we both circled around each other, testing the other's reflexes and feinting moves. We both tried to charge at our enemy, but the two of us were evenly matched in agility, and eventually it became a waiting game—waiting for who would slip up first. I slid my eyes over to Bella and saw her watching us, a look of terror on her face. And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw another movement. Victoria hadn't noticed; she was still staring at me with utter concentration and malice. I had seen Jacob twitch.

And suddenly, I knew he was conscious. His thoughts flowed through my mind, along with those of Victoria. I tried to concentrate on them both, to recognize whether Jacob was hurt, and to maintain my alertness. I could not let Victoria get to Bella.

I listened to Jacob as he lay completely still. He listened to us, as well, and tried to distinguish what was happening. I listened to him as he recognised my scent, and remembered what Victoria had done. And then, Jacob tried to communicate with me.

_Is Bella alright?_ he thought.

I nodded briefly, but to Victoria it appeared as if I was merely ducking my head in concentration.

_Is she here?_

Again, I bobbed my head. I knew that Jacob was watching us, but couldn't turn his head without catching Victoria's attention.

_If you distract the other blood-sucker, I can get to her and escape._

This time, I flicked my head left, then right. Victoria studied me curiously. She had not moved yet, but was shifting her position to confuse me.

_Just distract her, okay? Bella can't stay here!_

I wasn't aware of how injured Jacob was, and if he tried to move towards Bella and discovered that he was too hurt to do so, then Victoria would surely take advantage of it. I didn't want to take the chance.

Luckily, I didn't have to voice this to Jacob, because it would have blown our cover.

_I'm fine, alright? I can still run. She only bit my shoulder._

I let out a resigned sigh, and Victoria laughed, misinterpreting it.

"Given up already, have you?" she cackled.

"No," I said quietly. "I'm just really not looking forward to killing you."

She hadn't expected that, and her eyes widened in shock.

"What did you say?"

"It'd be a shame," I continued slowly, indicating to Jacob that he should hurry up with a subtle hand motion. "It really would be a shame if you didn't leave right now. You know, you could go to Africa or something, and not die. Your choice."

I heard Jacob start to crawl towards Bella slowly, but Victoria was too distracted to notice. Her fury emanated from her.

"I am not the one who will be dying." She shook with anger. "That would be _you_, and your pathetic human!"

"Yeah, well," I continued, seeing Jacob reach Bella out of the corner of my eye. "Too bad that she's gone."

Victoria's mouth fell open and she twisted around to see where Bella had been standing mere seconds ago. "How?" she demanded, quivering with rage.

I looked at where Jacob had lain, and Victoria cried out in fury. I smirked at her. This was over.

"This ends later. Your darling human will get what's coming to her," Victoria spat. My eyes narrowed, and Victoria was gone.

I darted back out of the clearing, and through the now-dark forest. I reached Bella's house in minutes. But Alice was the only one there. She was sitting on Rosalie's car, waiting for me. I hissed through my teeth in anger. Jacob had taken Bella across the border. He had taken her to La Push.

Alice leapt off the car upon seeing me. "What happened?"

"Victoria," I murmured darkly.

She clapped her hands to her mouth in horror. "Where's Bella?"

I dropped my gaze. "With the wolf."

Alice sighed in relief. "Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!" Her face contorted sadly. "I kept getting blank visions—there was so much to see, but it just… kept getting blocked out." She bared her teeth. "I really wish I could've helped."

"There's nothing we can do now," I growled. "Bella's beyond the border. The dog doesn't think I can keep her safe."

Alice put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "She'll be okay."

"I'm not waiting," I stated, ignoring her. "I have to go get her, tonight."

"Okay," Alice said nervously. I heard her wondering whether or not she should disagree with me, but she decided to leave me be. I was grateful. I was in no mood to fight with her as well.

I walked around the side of my car and clambered in. The keys were still in the ignition, thanks to our hurry beforehand. I turned the car around and sped off towards La Push. Jacob was not keeping Bella away from me. Not after what had just happened.

I reached the border in mere minutes. The car shuddered to a halt. I'd probably pushed it to go a bit faster than I should have, but my emotions had taken over. I scrambled out of the car and wandered around for a while.

Of course Bella wouldn't be here. She'd be at the beach, or at the werewolf's house. There was no point in waiting. I was going to have to breach the treaty.

I didn't bother with my car. I ran, faster than I'd ever thought I could. I ran towards the place I knew Bella would be. I was not going to lose her. Not again.

I was running too fast, and it was too dark, for others to be able to see me when I passed their cars on the road, but still, I knew that I was being reckless. I had broken the age-old treaty. There would be no more peace after this.

I reached the Black household sooner than I'd thought possible, and craned my head to see if they were home. But suddenly, I heard voices. Jacob's voice. Bella's voice. They were coming closer.

I hurried to conceal myself behind a tree, but they probably wouldn't have seen me anyway. It was dark, for one, and secondly… I stopped breathing in absolute shock. They were kissing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: If I'd written Twilight I wouldn't be posting FanFiction, would I? :**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys, they're very very much appreciated! And of course, anyone who takes the time to read and/or review, no matter how brief, will have a shrine built in their honour!**

* * *

_Bella's POV_

Nausea and dizziness overwhelmed me as Edward slammed to a halt. For a brief moment, all I could determine was the swirling colours—green and grey—and as I blinked rapidly to focus my mind, I realised that the grey was the overcast sky: we were no longer in the forest. When the world stopped tilting and righted itself, I could perceive more from our surroundings.

The first thing I noticed was that Edward and I stood in a clearing about half the size of a football field. The grass was cut short and free of weeds, as if a person tended to it regularly. The second thing that came to my attention was the growing scent—blood; and my dizziness return predictably.

Edward lowered me onto the ground, and stood close to me to reaffirm his guard. We both turned our heads as one to face the origin of the familiar metallic smell that affected us both so severely.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight. Jacob was sprawled on the ground, his left arm thrust out as if he'd try to hit something. Despite his lying on his back, his head was turned, and I couldn't establish whether his eyes were open or not. My heart beat became irregular and I breathed quickly, trying not to panic. What if he…? No. I couldn't let myself think such things!

The blood pooled around Jacob's body, and I turned my head away, torn between grief and anger. What if we had gotten here sooner? I lifted my head to see Edward out of the corner of my eye. His face was grim, and did not comfort me. I couldn't tell whether his worry was for Jacob's situation, or something else entirely.

And then suddenly, I saw something flash, just in my peripheral vision, and immediately, I recognised her. I gasped in horror as my sighting of Victoria at the cliff in La Push warned me—screamed at me—to run, to alert Edward. The brief blaze of red sent a rush of emotions through me, and I tried my best to keep my balance. Tears welled in my eyes as she came into clear view, a few dozen metres away, over Jacob's torso. My instincts had been right, and now it was too late.

Edward's dark eyes were narrowed coldly, and he stood in front of me, shielding me. A shiver rushed through me as I watched Victoria smirk cruelly, and Edward wrapped his arms around me. I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. We were going to be okay. Victoria wasn't going to hurt us.

The nonsense I spoke in my head forced my eyes open angrily. Of course we weren't going to be okay! She's a murderous vampire, for crying out loud!

As I'd tried to distract myself, Edward and Victoria had spoken. Their tones were icy and bitter, and Victoria was poised over Jacob as if ready to leap at us at any given time. I tried not to move, tried to prevent her from catching any more of my scent.

"It's a wolf, boy, can you not tell?" I heard Victoria say. She seemed almost awed that Edward had not seemed to notice this factor at once. Edward did not reply, and so she pressed on. "He tried to attack me, but in his human state, it was quite useless."

Again, my breath caught in my throat and I choked. Had I interpreted what she was saying incorrectly? Was Jacob…? I swallowed, refusing to think the next word.

Edward lowered his voice to a growl that I couldn't hear properly, but Victoria seemed to deem it coherent, and she cackled loudly. The sound sent shivers down my spine, and I leaned into Edward carefully.

The next three words hit me like a tonne of bricks. As Victoria proudly announced that she had bitten Jacob, the world span out of control and my knees tried to buckle underneath me. Black dots circled around my eyes, blocking out the grey, the green, and the red flame that was Victoria. The quiet voices became more distant, and I suddenly felt incredibly light-headed.

Two cold, strong hands closed around my shoulders and held me up long enough for me to compose myself. I let out a long breath that shook in my throat, and a small whisper of shock escaped with it.

Suddenly, Edward was snarling, and my eyes widened. What was happening? I blinked and focused on where I remembered Victoria to have been. But she wasn't there—she was closer to us. Edward was slightly bent forward now, ready to strike at her, and he bared his teeth in warning. And then he leapt at her, but there was a flurry of movement and my eyes began to ache with the effort of keeping up. Victoria had moved, and Edward had paused, only to lunge again. And now… I squinted. They were circling each other, their feet moving too quickly for me to see.

I discerned them by their hair—the burning red was Victoria, and the bronze, Edward. But even then, if Edward dropped his guard for a split second, and Victoria jumped at me, I wouldn't be able to move quickly enough to avoid her attack. I trembled.

But for some reason, they both slowed and danced around each other with less concentration. I stared at Edward and noticed that he looked slightly distracted; his eyes had a vague look about them. And then, for the first time in several minutes, I glanced at Jacob.

He was crawling towards me. My mouth dropped open in shock. What the?

Jacob smiled encouragingly at me and pressed one of his fingers to his lips, while using his other hand to army-crawl closer. And before I could react, he had reached me. I caught one last glimpse of Edward before we were gone.

* * *

"What the h—?"

"Shhh!"

I blinked. I felt like someone had just thrown a brick at me. I couldn't remember being unconscious, but I definitely knew that there were some blanks to fill in. I sat up, and immediately realised that I was indoors. Jacob's face smiled tentatively at me, and my head throbbed angrily.

What was the last thing I could remember? I concentrated, scrunching my eyes up and trying to recall the very last thing in my memory. Jacob's eyes narrowed warily.

"What are you doing, Bella?" he whispered.

"I'm trying to rememb—why are you whispering?" I demanded.

"I shouldn't be at home, I should be out helping the other guys find that leech. If my dad caught me…" he trailed off, and my eyes almost popped out of my head.

"What? Who?" And then I noticed something else. "Jake, you're bleeding!" He had a black shirt draped around his shoulders, and I noticed a bandage wrapped around the top of his left arm. Blood had soaked through it, and was now seeping through his shirt.

"Oh, yeah." He glanced at his arm momentarily. "I'm fine."

"What happened to you?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "You honestly don't remember?"

I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes to try and disperse the pain in my head. When I opened my eyes again, I swear I could've seen something crimson.

"I'm not sure, Jake… explain it to me, please."

"I was attacked by that blood-sucker that's been hunting you down, and then you and Cullen came. And I saved you." He made a point of breathing in and sticking his chest out heroically.

I was not fooled. "Where have you taken me?"

Jacob's face fell when I failed to appear impressed, or even thankful. His eyes darkened and he stood up. I noticed with astonishment that his head almost touched the ceiling.

He switched a light on, and I gasped in pain. My head throbbed with more persistence than ever.

"You're at my place." I recognised it now. Jacob strode across the room to the front door, not waiting for me to stand up. "You passed out as we left the forest."

Despite my protesting aches and pains, I followed Jacob out the door and down the steps. My depth perception was a little off, and I stumbled frequently.

"Jake, wait!" I started to run, following his amazingly quick stride down to a path I knew extraordinarily well. It was almost dark now, but I could make out the beach's features fine enough.

Cream-coloured sand stretched along the rim of the glittering ocean, where, had it not been overcast, I was sure the semi-circular sun would be visible dipping into its calm depths. If the clouds were not there, I imagined the sky being a deep blood-red, accommodated by several silhouetted clouds whose folds and creases would stand out against the darkness of the ever-looming night. But instead, the sky was a shadowy grey, casting a murky shade over the water.

The calls of many different seabirds cut across the gentle lull of the calm waves, and the silence that Jacob and I stood in, both of us gazing out at the ocean. Many flocks of them crossed the shadowing sky, preparing to retire for the night and find shelter from the wintry breeze.

The grey of the sky deepened to a turquoise, and the sea's colour was almost indistinguishable to the sky above it. We hadn't been standing there long, but the silence was becoming near unbearable.

"Bella," Jacob whispered, "I really thought that I was going to lose you tonight." He turned to face me solemnly.

I was taken aback. "Lose me?"

"The vampire bit me, Bella. I was near sure that it was going to kill me." His eyes contracted in anger. "But it seems that it only hurts like hell, and doesn't heal as fast as I'd like it to."

I nodded, wary of some unspoken ulterior motive Jacob may have.

"Listen." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Your vampire will probably turn up soon enough, so I want to talk to you _before_ he gets here."

"Jake—"

"Bella, please." Jacob's face twisted in pain. "Please let me say what I need to say."

I nodded silently.

Jacob sighed, and turned back to face the water. "This was so much easier in my head."

"What was?" Fear crept up me slowly; I began to feel sick. I had an inkling that I knew what Jacob was trying to say, and I didn't want to hear it.

"Bella…" He paused. "I'm just going to be blunt. I'm in love with you."

Everything crashed down on me, and my vision went red. I'd known that it had been coming, but a part of me had blocked it from my mind. The impact was worse than I'd expected it to be. Not Jacob. Not now. I heard my heart thud as I shook my head repeatedly. Jacob's face fell.

"No, _no_, Jake! Don't say that!" I started to run away from him, back up the path and towards the house, but he was faster than me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him. I was dimly aware of the fact that I'd stopped breathing.

"Please," he said quietly. "Please don't go."

"I have to, Jake," I murmured. "You _know_ that."

But he didn't seem to hear me. He leaned in towards me, his arms around my waist.

"N—" I started to protest, but I froze. _Stop that!_ I yelled at myself. _Run, dammit!_

But I couldn't move. Something held me to my spot, and when he kissed me, I kissed back.

_Bella! _my mind shrieked. _What are you doing!?_

And then when I realised that the arms around me were warm, and not cold, and that it wasn't Edward, but Jacob, I pushed against his chest and turned away.

"Bella?" Jacob said softly. I didn't face him. I couldn't let him see the tears that were running so swiftly down my face.

"I have to go," I whispered.

* * *

When I crept into my bedroom, he was there. He lay on my bed with a book sprawled in front of him, but he looked too distracted to be reading. His eyes were black, his face expressionless.

"Edward?"

He didn't look up. I trembled. Could he possibly know about what had happened? Had Alice seen us? _No_, my mind retorted, _Alice can't see Jacob_.

"Done catching up with Jacob?" Edward said flatly.

"I… umm… yes?"

He jumped gracefully off the bed and stood to face me. His eyes were impenetrable.

"Too bad. No doubt he'll be here soon enough."

My head spun. He knew! "Why?" I blurted out.

Edward was silent for a second, and my fear grew to terror. He was going to leave me again. He was going to leave, and it would be my fault!

But then he said something unexpected. "Because of me."

I was confused. "You? Why?"

His black eyes were focused on a spot on my floor. "I breached the treaty, Bella. The peace is over, now."

_Whoosh_. The air shot out of my lungs like a javelin. I had not expected that. "You breached the treaty?!" I said numbly. "When?"

His eyes met mine now, and there was an emotion there that I didn't recognise.

"Tonight," he whispered. "When I came to find you. I saw you, Bella. I saw you and him."

Again, the world span, and the black dots returned, peppering my vision and making me lose my balance. Edward didn't catch me when I fell, but let me slide onto the bed with a muffled _thump_.

"Edward, _please_, just…" I trailed off. I couldn't ask him for any sort of favour. I didn't deserve his forgiveness, let alone his attention. But he was looking at me in concern.

"Bella, I—"

_Whoosh_. This time, the sound was not the air escaping from my lungs, but rather a rush of air through my window. Jacob had leapt into my room, and was now standing in front of Edward with a stance that I knew from watching too many violent movies.

"Hey, leech," Jacob hissed. "The treaty's up. It's time to fight."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I would be making you guys pay for this story, hah.**

**A/N: I'm sorry if you guys hate this chapter! I tried so many times to get this just the way I wanted it, but it didn't really work. So next chapter I'll make it up to you guys. Sorry! And again, reviews appreciated infinitely!!**

* * *

_Bella's POV_

A thrill of fear rushed through me upon hearing Jacob's words. His hands were balled into fists, his face complimenting the severe hatred he felt for Edward. I noticed that he was no longer wearing the black t-shirt, and that the bandage wrapped around his shoulder was now doing him no good. Blood stained his skin, and my stomach lurched at the potent smell.

Edward's face was impossibly composed, showing no surprise or concern at Jacob's statement. But as I stared at his golden eyes, something flashed there that I didn't like. Before I could identify what the dangerous emotion was, though, it was gone, and Edward glanced down at me. He looked almost apologetic.

"Bella, you should leave," he said quietly.

It took me a few seconds to understand the meaning to what he'd said.

"What?" I spluttered. "You're not fighting here! You'll annihilate my room!"

"Of course not," Edward murmured, his voice smooth, unwavering. "I meant for you to leave _here_, as in this area—Alice is waiting for you outside."

Jacob smirked, interrupting him. "She can stay. This won't take long."

Edward shot him a look, his eyes blazing with the sensation I couldn't quite recognise.

"I wasn't worried about timing," he said, and for once, his voice shook with anger. "I was more concerned about Bella's safety."

Jacob's eyes narrowed defiantly. "You don't think I can keep her safe?"

Edward remained silent. I was still trying to locate the feeling—whatever it was—that would not leave his eyes. But as I was considering the possibilities, another thought struck me. I mentally slapped myself for not realising it earlier. My eyes swept over Jacob's shoulder. It twitched every so often, causing him obvious pain.

"Are you a vampire now, too?" I asked him softly, the words sounding faintly ridiculous to my ears.

Jacob's eyes widened at my question, and for a moment I thought that he was in shock. But then he began to laugh, and I exhaled in annoyance and relief.

"A vampire!" he guffawed. "That's a good one, Bells!" His laughter rang out loudly, and his whole being shook. Edward gripped my arm cautiously as if expecting the tremors to knock me over.

"I thought… don't people turn into vampires once they get bitten?" I raised an eyebrow. Wasn't that how it worked?

"You said it, Bella," Jacob grinned, and thudded his right fist against his chest. "I'm not a person, so it's different."

"He can't be both wolf _and_ vampire," Edward explained, and I nodded silently, understanding.

Jacob's smile faded, and he shifted his stance tensely. "So now that that's cleared up," he muttered, "back to the task at hand."

"Bella leaves first," Edward stated forebodingly, stepping forward to reassure Jacob that he was willing to fight… once I'd left.

"Bella?" Jacob stopped glaring at Edward to look at me. "Do you _want_ to leave?"

"Don't fight," I begged them both. "There's no reason to!"

"No _reason_ to!" they both snarled at the same time, and I jumped, slightly startled.

And then something clicked; it seemed so _obvious_ now. I knew that Edward would never usually agree to this—I knew that he was more sensible than that. And suddenly I understood the emotion behind his golden eyes. It was his willingness to fight… he _wanted_ to hurt Jacob, possibly even kill him. And it was all because of me—because of what I'd done. But Edward didn't want to lose me again; he wasn't going to leave me. He was going to rid my life of Jacob.

I shivered, and they both looked at me in concern. Edward held me close to his side, but I knew that his eyes were on Jacob, and that he was thinking… contemplating… wondering how he was going to hurt him. And Jacob gave him the same cold look. They were both raring to fight—both willing to _die_, over me! The realisation of this made my head spin.

It had been one kiss—it hadn't meant anything; not to me, anyway! But Edward seemed to think something else of it. Edward thought that I loved Jacob back.

"No!" I exclaimed, freeing myself of Edward's embrace and stepping in between the two of them. They both stared at me with the same curiosity. My heart thudded, and I stopped breathing momentarily. I stretched my hands out to each of them, signalling for them to stop, to wait.

I mentally ridiculed myself as I did so—like I could impede a fight between them. But even still, I stood there, unmoving, waiting for their stances to slacken, for their gazes to calm.

"Edward." I wheeled my head around to face him. "I'm not in love with him!"

He stared back at me—his face was so beautifully sculpted, and it reminded me of the first time I'd ever gazed upon his magnificence. His tawny eyes burned into mine, trying to read my face, trying to believe me. I sensed his reluctance.

He hesitated. "Then why—"

"It was a mistake," I blurted out, interrupting him. I willed him to believe me, begged him with my eyes to reach forgiveness. I felt Jacob shift behind me, and then a warm hand gripped my still-outstretched arm.

Edward's eyes darkened. I swivelled my head around and saw Jacob standing inches away from me, cradling my arm, a look of devastation in his eyes.

But before I could react—before I could try and compose my thoughts and attempt to right the situation, a loud noise swept through the window. It sounded like scraping metal. A shiver rushed down my spine as the high-pitched sound continued, and before I knew it, I was in Edward's arms, and we were rushing through the house, towards the door. I could see Jacob over Edward's shoulder, keeping pace with us easily. His eyes were lit, as if he was enjoying Edward's sudden reaction. Jacob grinned at me and winked.

"Edward?" I placed a hand on his stony arm, and he came to a fluid stop outside the house. Jacob lingered behind us, watching. Edward kept his emotions remarkably veiled, but I wasn't as composed. When he placed me on my own feet, my eyes widened and I let out a small, shuddering gasp.

It was dark now, and the grey clouds stood against the night sky like smoke. Edward's skin glowed, luminescent, where the moonlight hit him. The clouds and darkness chased the crescent-shape daringly across the sky, but the moon taunted them by shining brightly, and recruited small dots of stars where the clouds were thin.

The screeching noise dragged on relentlessly; my ears screamed in protest as the sound barrier threatened to be broken, and my head ached furiously. I turned it left and right, looking to identify the source, but the sound was too loud—too piercing—for a definite cause to be recognised, especially with the darkness clouding around me and limiting my vision to about a metre in front of me.

I sighed resignedly, giving up any hopes of being able to track it myself, and glanced hopefully up at Edward. He stood beside me now, and I ignored the sharp gaze on me a few feet behind him. Edward looked… scary. His eyes were narrowed, the topaz shining out, even on his ghostly face, and his mouth was curled upward in distaste. I followed his furious look

I could barely make out two large silhouettes, standing higher than any man. The figures were longer, and stood on four legs, not two. I shifted my stare and fixed it upon Edward's car. The silver glinted brilliantly and stood out, and I could finally see what the problem was. It was tilting precariously; the bumper was being shredded across the dark road and generating the horrific squealing sound that seemed to bother no one besides me. The two shadows that stood right behind it were positioned over the car, shoving it harshly, trying to flip the Volvo.

I could, from the sparkle of Edward's Volvo, scarcely distinguish who the figures were. The chocolate-brown wolf, who I acknowledged was Quil, turned to me momentarily and grinned, his long teeth flashing against the car's reflection. I didn't smile back—my mouth was hanging open stupidly, and my eyes were almost popping out of my head.

"_Jacob_!" I hissed. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

I glanced at Edward warily. His expression was even worse than before. He was livid.

Jacob seemed to enjoy this fact. "Just having some fun, Bells." He smiled at me innocently.

"_This_," I gestured at the car, which was tipping more dangerously every second, "is fun?"

He nodded, not taking his eyes off Edward. "Uhuh, definitely."

"Let me get this straight, Jacob," Edward muttered furiously. "You think that destroying my car will achieve that?"

I sighed. Another thought-conversation. Fantastic.

"No," Jacob laughed. "I just thought it'd piss you off. The more, the better. I don't want to feel guilty for killing you. I want to know that you tried your best to kill me, too."

"Could've done that with my car intact," Edward murmured under his breath.

I stared at the ground. Even at night, I could see that the grass was severely green, which calmed me slightly, but the unbearable sound that flowed through my ears was maddening. I needed to think. I silently wished for a time machine, or some event-altering device. This couldn't be happening! Not now; not when I couldn't help!

_You've helped plenty, Bella! _my mind replied sarcastically. _You're the one who started the fight—you're the one who kissed Jacob. I don't think either of them need any more "help" from you._

I winced. Guilt ravaged me in every corner of my mind, and I knew that the tears weren't far away. A lump rose in my throat. I ignored it.

"Edward." I blew upwards into my eyes, trying to dispel the tears. "Please, _please_ don't do this. I'm sorry. Blame me."

He looked at me sorrowfully, almost tenderly. He pitied me, I realised with a jolt.

"Bella," he whispered, "I can't. I could never blame you. _I _left _you_. You could kiss a thousand guys—a thousand _wolves_, even—and it still wouldn't measure up to the pain I've caused you. I forgive you."

I couldn't control my emotions anymore. I burst into tears.

"Please don't fight!" I begged them hoarsely. Jacob and Edward stared at me in sympathy, but with an air of defiance about them. It was useless. I choked on my breath.

"Bella," Edward lowered his mouth to my ear so that I was the only one hearing him. The next breath I drew shuddered in my chest as I drew closer to hysteria. "Bella, calm down."

I tried to breathe slowly and compose myself, but at that exact moment, there was a creaking sound, and the Volvo flipped over. Edward's eye twitched. He straightened, and his face turned from sympathetic to enraged so quickly that I thought for a moment he was glaring at _me_.

"Are you and your friends done destroying my car?" he spat at Jacob.

Jacob grinned. "No. I'm guessing you were just going to flip it back over." I watched him take a small box out of his pocket, and suddenly the air was filled with a rank, oddly familiar smell. I started to feel lightheaded.

"Wh—what did you do?" I spluttered, pressing my cold palm to my forehead to regain a clear head.

"He didn't," Edward muttered. "The fuel cap came off the car. Petrol's going everywhere." His nose was wrinkled in disgust; I suspected it wasn't at the odour.

Jacob hadn't noticed our conversation, seemingly unaffected by the smell, and lifted the small box up further, sliding it open. My eyes widened—suddenly, I knew what he was holding.

"NO, JAKE!" I screamed.

But it was too late; he struck the match and threw it at the car gleefully. At that brief moment before impact, I heard Edward mutter a stream of words that I'd never before known him to use. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me away as I screamed.

The explosion's impact was less than I expected, but I guess I had Edward to thank for that. We both hit the pavement at the same time, murmuring a shallow, "Oomph," as the concrete made contact with our bodies. My eyes were closed and my face was pressed to the ground, but—even though it was as dark as ever—the light of the blast still turned my vision a bright red. A few seconds later, a grumbling roar filled my ears, and it reminded me of the sound a plane makes before take-off. A hot blast of air rushed over us, and I clenched my hands behind the back of my head, Edward's arms wrapped around my waist, and the back of my neck sizzled. I smelled burning hair, and hoped to God it wasn't mine. Small chunks of gravel flew at me, pelting my arms and legs.

I hadn't thought that I'd been screaming for long, but when Edward pulled me up, my voice felt unbelievably hoarse. I groaned; my joints ached. I had acquired a new headache from scrunching my eyes up so tightly that I'd been afraid that they'd be pushed back into my brain.

Edward seemed unscathed and perfectly calm, and I wondered fleetingly how long we'd been lying there—the adrenalin and absolute panic washed any trace of time from my mind. But the thought passed, and my mind settled on what I was seeing, as Edward and I walked cautiously to where his car had once been. Large chunks of metal were scattered around the place in random areas—through a window, on the hood of my truck, jammed in the gutter.

And I think that the material damage was the only thing Edward and I could care about or notice at that moment—after all, a freaking car had just exploded. But I don't think either of us expected the damage that was yet to come from this event.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

**A/N: I am SO sorry that it's taken me this long to post the next chapter! I've been pretty busy with school and stuff, so yes. Profuse apologies. Now, the time frame (and I'm sorry for not stressing this earlier in the story) is right after New Moon. But occasionally I might get some of the stuff from Eclipse unintentionally mixed in there. Oh, and I apologise for not replying to any of your comments, but I have _no_ idea how. So yes. On to the story...**

The cashier gave me a wide-eyed stare when he passed me the tray of food. I sighed inwardly. The fact that my eyebrows had been singed and most of my face was covered in soot didn't help my desire to remain unnoticed. I thanked him quietly and hurried away from the counter, swivelling my head around every few seconds to make sure I hadn't been spotted.

I knew, of course, that if they were trying to find me, it would only be too simple, but I prayed that for the moment they'd give me some time alone. I knew that Edward had wanted Carlisle to see me straight away, but I'd managed to convince him to go and speak to his family. The fact that a feud had begun was much more urgent news than my eyebrows being burnt off.

I walked slowly down the white hallway, keeping my focus on not hyper-ventilating. The smell of disinfectant and bleach ran down the back of my throat and made my eyes water. I was not a fan of hospitals. An elderly man wheeled his chair past me, smiling sympathetically. I gritted my teeth. _They'll grow back, they'll grow back._

A man in a long white coat eyed me nervously as he strolled past, a stethoscope across his shoulders and a clipboard under his arm. I continued to walk, lifting the tray of food slightly closer to my face. I inhaled the smell of pumpkin soup, preferring it much more to bleach.

I entered a large room, which was just as unnaturally clean as the hallway. It was full of beds, and my stomach constricted. I shivered. The people in the Intensive Care Unit were not usually well enough to eat. However, Jacob had insisted I bring food. Go figure.

I walked past several beds, with people who were unconscious, or looking like they were _about_ to be unconscious in them. Heart monitors beeped quietly in the background, and every so often a person would cough. I spotted the bed with the most people crowded around it and joined the fray. Jacob was chatting animatedly to his father, bandages wrapped around his arms and torso, and one of his legs in a cast. The right side of his face was burnt and looked painful. A young doctor stood to one side of the bed; one of his eyebrows was raised uncertainly, as if he wasn't sure this was supposed to be going so well. Obviously, he'd never treated a werewolf before.

"It's alright, Derek, I'll take this patient," I heard a familiar voice call from across the room, though the voice wasn't strained—it was if they were standing mere feet away, rather than several dozen metres.

_Oh, crap!_ I handed the tray of food to Billy, who had turned at the sound of the voice and dropped to the floor, trying to remain unseen. Carlisle's face appeared from over the bed, a warm smile lighting up his features. He looked slightly tired—which was absurd, considering he couldn't sleep—and worn out. I suspected it had something to do with Edward's news.

"It's alright, Bella, I'll leave you alone for the moment," he assured me. I stood up, glancing around casually, trying to maintain my dignity. I wondered briefly where Edward was.

"_No_," came a voice, making me jump. It had been Jacob, and his expression had switched from jovial to livid. He was shuddering. I gulped. If he phased _here_, it'd be a bit obvious. It definitely wouldn't help him answer the questions the police had, without mentioning some sort of supernatural ability—"_Hey, I can turn into a giant wolf! That explains everything, doesn't it?_"

"Jacob," Carlisle said quietly, "right now we need to focus on you healing. Thanks to… a previous incident…" he glanced around at Jacob's friends and family, who looked bewildered, "your immune system isn't working quite as well as we'd hope it to."

"I'm fine." Jacob crossed his arms angrily, ignoring the ripping sound his bandages made.

Carlisle cleared his throat—unnecessarily, it was as smooth as ever—and drew a long breath.

"I'm sure you're all hungry," he said, smiling kindly at Jacob's guests. "Jacob and I need to have a chat about some boring medical stuff. There are coffee and snacks in the doctors' lounge across the hall."

Whether it was the suggestion of food, or Carlisle's charming smile, that cleared everybody from the ICU, I didn't know, but soon enough, only Carlisle, Billy and I stood around Jacob's bed.

"Sir?" Carlisle turned to Billy.

"I think I'll stay," he replied loudly, a hard frown set on his face. "Wouldn't want you drinking his blood without me knowing. If it was up to me, he wouldn't even be at this hospital. But why, of all the doctors in this place, does it have to be _you_ who treats him?"

This was going to be long and painful. And not just for Jacob. I grimaced.

"With all due respect," Carlisle said calmly, "I thought it appropriate for Jacob to have a doctor who knows exactly what has happened. It will aid his healing process a great deal."

"His healing process?" Billy scoffed. "What the heck are you talking about? You know he'll be perfectly fine by tomorrow."

Carlisle's expression became more serious. "Actually," he muttered grimly, "the wound on Jacob's shoulder has, as I said before, affected his immune system a great deal. I have no doubt that his friends will be fine very quickly, but given _his_ condition…"

Billy's black eyebrows shot up, meeting his fading hairline. "Eh?"

"Well, Jacob may need to stay here a good few weeks."

"Weeks?" Billy demanded angrily. "Look, _Count Dracula_—" I saw Carlisle's jaw clench slightly, "—he's doing fine! Look, see! He's almost completely healed already."

Both Jacob and I had stayed completely quiet during this conversation. I had shrunk into the corner, leaning against a large trolley and the wall, and Jacob's head was lolling on his pillow. But now we both saw it fit to state our positions.

"Carlisle," I mumbled, "why is it going to take so long for him to heal? I mean, honestly, Billy's right—he looks perfectly well."

"And I am _not_ staying here for weeks with you as my doctor," Jake added heatedly.

Carlisle sighed. "You feel fine now," he replied to Jacob, ignoring the furious stare he was receiving from Billy. "That's because your immune system is acting instinctively. It's so used to healing quickly that it's working without deliberation. But as it has been unable to do anything about the bite that Victoria inflicted—" he indicated Jake's shoulder, "—soon enough it will stop in its tracks and shut down. It's working too hard."

"How long?" Jacob muttered, not meeting Carlisle's eyes, but rather looking at me.

"Possibly twelve hours."

"And then what?" Billy interrupted. "You claim the system will shut down." He bit his lip. "Won't that kill him?"

My eyes widened at Billy's assumption. I'd thought that Jake had simply broken his legs and sustained a few burns. I hadn't thought much more of it. After all, I wasn't hurt, and I was human. _He's a freaking werewolf, for crying out loud!_ My lip trembled and I balled my hands into fists. _Keep it together_, I thought to myself, frustrated with how fragile my emotions had been lately.

"It will not kill him," Carlisle said slowly, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. "However," he continued seriously, "this is serious. Jacob won't be simply swallowing pills and waiting for his burns to heal."

"So what?" Jacob asked impatiently. "Needles? Surgery?"

"Induced coma."

_What?!_ My eyes widened. What the heck kind of medical care was that? More like a filler for daytime soap operas.

"It sounds a lot worse than it is," Carlisle assured them. Billy looked shocked, and Jacob was staring into space. I suspected that he was trying to compose himself. His hands were trembling beside him on the bed.

"This is ridiculous," Billy said quietly. "No, I won't allow it."

"It's the only way that his immune system can be monitored and controlled properly," Carlisle said gravely.

The oldest Cullen looked more aged than I'd ever seen him. The youthful sparkle in his eyes had fizzled out. His pasty white skin appeared almost grey. Carlisle was troubled. I wondered whether this was for Jacob's wellbeing, or for the war currently in process. After all, the safety of his family was at risk.

"I have other patients to check on," Carlisle added suddenly. "I'll be back in a few hours. Please think about this."

When he walked (or rather, flew—he was so graceful!) away, Billy turned to his son solemnly, as if he was about to give a final farewell. Jacob and I both gaped.

"Well, seeing as the Count isn't hanging around to take some blood tests…" Billy muttered.

My eyes narrowed. I could understand that Billy was upset about the news he'd just received, but this was going a bit far. And I had no doubt he'd keep up the name-calling if Jacob was miraculously cured overnight.

"I'm going to get some coffee. Bella, care to join me?" he asked reluctantly, probably hoping I'd decline.

"Uh, no, thanks."

His disappointment was definitely not genuine. I didn't particularly care. I couldn't honestly say that I was fond of Billy at all. I knew too well of the things he said about me behind my back to like him.

As he strolled away, Jacob sat up a little higher in his bed. His bandages made the same ripping noise, and I winced.

"So, like my battle wounds?" he grinned. I pushed away from the wall I'd been leaning against and sat at the foot of his bed, carefully avoiding his broken legs.

"Battle wounds. Is that what you're calling it?" My voice was cold, and Jacob's smile disappeared swiftly.

"Aren't you at least glad I didn't die?" His face was doubtful, as if he suspected the answer, and it wasn't the one he wanted to hear.

"If you'd died, it wouldn't be anyone else's fault but your own."

"What about your boyfriend? He started it, Bella—_he_ breached the treaty!"

"He didn't leap through my window and declare _war_, Jake."

Jacob's expression turned sullen. "I had to do that."

"Did you really? I didn't see anyone holding you at gunpoint!" The volume of my voice had escalated drastically, and people were starting to stare. A nurse shushed me, and I lowered my voice somewhat.

"Bella," Jacob's eyebrows had knit together, a sharp crease forming between them. "Come on. I did what I had to do. I didn't want to lose you."

"You…" I hissed through my teeth. I couldn't think of any words to express what I was feeling. "You didn't want to _lose_ me?"

"I had to fight for you."

My jaw dropped. "Edward's my boyfriend! There was never anything to fight for!"

He dropped his gaze and linked his hands together, keeping his eyes off me, as if it would hurt too much. "I told you. I love you. Leave him for _me_."

I cradled my face in my hands and let out a low sigh. "Jake… stop doing this!"

"No." He clenched his jaw like a child about to throw a tantrum.

"Agh." I stood up and moved away from the bed in one swift movement. "I'm sorry, Jake, but you know that I don't love you back. You know that I love Edward."

Jacob didn't say anything. I tilted my head exasperatedly; he was making me feel guilty. I was yelling at a guy in a hospital bed. My _friend_.

"Look, you'll always be my friend, Jake," I whispered, kneeling beside him and placing my hands over his. "But… nothing more. I'm sorry."

He nodded slowly. He looked like he was about to cry. The inexplicable protective instinct that overcame me when Jacob was unhappy returned, and I had an overwhelming urge to hug him. I resisted—it couldn't possibly make things any better.

"Look," I shifted uncomfortably, shutting out the thoughts running through my mind. "I should probably go… and let you, uh, rest."

"Okay." Jacob didn't look at me when I walked away. I tripped over the bowl of soup—which was now stone-cold—that Billy had set on the floor after I'd handed it to him. It soaked through my shoes. _Fantastic_. I hopped through the ICU and ignored the stare of passers-by. It surprised me how many people were in the hospital this late. Midnight was long gone, and in a few hours, the sun would rise. I knew that Edward and his family would have to leave soon, and I was finally ready to face them. Previous guilt, almost forgotten by the event that had just taken place, settled in the pit of my stomach, making me feel ill.

Had Edward really forgiven me? Had he explained to his family about me and Jacob? Surely they'd want to know why he'd crossed the La Push border!

I walked down the hallways for a while, feeling slightly lost and treading pumpkin soup across the spotless floors. A cleaner glared at me as I passed, and I smiled uncertainly, wondering whether janitors had friends in high places.

"Hospitals are dangerous places at night-time," I heard a sinister voice whisper behind me; their breath whipped past my ear, and I cried out in shock and pivoted, heart racing.

"_Edward_," I breathed, returning his smile weakly. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"I know." He grinned wickedly. "Sorry. Couldn't help it."

I stuck my tongue out at him and kept walking. "So… how'd your family take the news?"

Edward was beside me like a shadow, making no noise—unlike me; my shoes squeaked against the floor loudly.

"They already knew," he said casually. "Mind telling me why your shoes are orange?"

I ignored his question. "Already knew? How?"

Edward linked his hand with mine. "Alice was waiting outside, remember? And when she saw those two wolves trying to flip my car, she went home to tell the others that a fight was about to start."

"That makes sense," I said slowly. "Are they angry?"

Edward's eyes met mine. "With who?"

_You… me… anyone. _"Umm, just angry at all."

"They're kind of annoyed at me," Edward said, shrugging. "Carlisle thinks I acted too rashly, of course. But I don't think he realises that no one has is as coolheaded as him."

I nodded. "Did you… tell them everything?"

It took me a while to realise that Edward was no longer walking alongside me. I glanced back and saw him, his eyes staring into space.

"Edward?"

He blinked. "No… no… I didn't tell them that," he muttered. I hugged him, leaning my head against his chest. His arms wrapped gently around my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." My voice croaked and I fought to control the tears again. "I don't know what happened. It just… did."

Edward flinched at the reminder of what he'd seen earlier. "I'm going to take you home. It's been a _really_ long day." There was something—an emotion, a memory—masked in what he said.

"Okay," I said uncertainly.

He lifted me up into his arms, ignoring the soup all over my shoes, and began strolling casually down the hallway, as if I weighed nothing. I rolled my eyes.

"Show-off," I muttered, hiding my smile behind my hand.

He opened his mouth in mock horror, and then quickened his pace. He let go of me with one arm and—as I yelped in shock—threw me over his right shoulder.

"Edward!"

And then he grabbed me by the waist and placed me on my feet. My head spun, and I swayed on the spot. At that moment, I realised that the entire Cullen family was standing in front of us. Emmett and Rosalie were smirking, Alice and Esme were smiling, Jasper had turned away, and Carlisle was looking at us tiredly, seeming not to notice everyone else's amusement.

"Weather bureau's predicting sunny weather tomorrow, Edward," he said pointedly. Edward nodded, and a faint blush crept up my face. _Whoops._

"And though Bella doesn't need to return home for the same reasons," Carlisle smiled slightly, "I'm sure she needs the sleep… and a bath."

I grimaced, and some of the soot on my face flew to the floor.

"I assume you've heard of Jacob's predicament, Edward?" Rosalie asked. I raised an eyebrow. Why would she even care? _Unless…_ My eyes widened. She knew. She couldn't know! How could she have found out? Did Edward _tell_ her about what had happened between Jacob and myself? He wouldn't do that, surely!

"Actually, no," Edward replied casually. "I'm assuming he's fine, though."

Rosalie smirked. "Depends on your definition of _fine_."

_Crap. She totally knows._

Edward raised an eyebrow and turned to me.

"What's wrong with your friend, Bella?"

"His immune system—" Carlisle cut in, sensing my inability to explain the situation. "We have to put him in an induced coma."

Edward ducked his head and a confused smile slid onto his face. "_Coma_? Really? That sounds more like something they do on soap-operas than in real life."

My eyes narrowed. "We spend _way_ too much time together."

Edward draped his arm around my shoulder and steered me towards the exit. The rest of the family followed, as if having reached an unspoken decision to leave all of a sudden. I thought nothing of it, but a shiver was sent up my spine at the look Rosalie gave me as we walked out the door…


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer. You know the drill.**

**A/N: Ahem. Sorry for the short chapter guys, it's just something you can read while I write the next one… I've got exams and stuff, haven't got much time at the moment. Hope you like it, and please review, if possible!**

* * *

I felt the warm sun on my face, the light flooding through my eyelids in a tinge of red, and I splayed my arms out beside me, feeling the soft grass with the tips of my fingers. It was peaceful here—no worrying about feuds and comas, vengeful vampires and immature wolves. My mind was completely blank, and I felt almost unattached from my body; the energy flowed through me, happily bubbling through my blood and causing me to smile with my eyes tight shut.

In this world, where there were no problems, no upcoming dramas, no troubles, fights, grudges or disappointments, my mind roamed free. I felt myself suddenly stand—with an infinite amount of grace times the usual—and the soft grass was beneath my feet. I wasn't wearing shoes, and I wiggled my toes childishly, as if discovering the sense of touch for the first time.

I then noticed the soft noises, almost undetectable at first, grow and harmonise in my ears, and chime in with the notes in my head. I recognised it, as if it were something from a past life, a piano tune that I'd heard so long ago that it had almost faded from my memory. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I swayed with the music, twitching my fingers every time the notes changed. It was almost as if the song was saying something to me—hinting to me what should have been so obvious, but I was blissfully unaware of what it tried to convey, and instead enjoyed its company in this place that I had yet to see through my own eyes.

At this realisation, I lifted my hands up to my face slowly, letting my movement flow gracefully, rather than jerk this way and that. My fingers brushed against my cheek, warm in the sunlight, and I ran them across my eyelashes. Cautiously, I peeked out the corner of my eye, and the dull glow of red disappeared, changing to a flash of light. I cried out in joy, and let my hands return to their place by my side. My eyes were open wide enough now to survey my surroundings.

I recognised the place—again, with that dim hint of familiarity that I couldn't quite place my finger on. With a definite certainty, I acknowledged that I'd been here before, lain in the grass as I had, felt as I did. The field was wide enough to allow the sun to peer through the forest trees that surrounded it. I stared up at the cerulean sky and felt my heart lift; it was so beautiful. The clash of bright blue against the green of the grass created a stunning effect that I couldn't tear my eyes away from. But after a few moments, I glanced down for a second, only then realising my own physical existence. I knew it was me, I recognised myself, but I was in a pale yellow dress that fell to my knees lightly. This, I had never seen before, but I felt as though I'd bought it myself—it fitted me so perfectly, emotions included. The yellow almost spoke to me: it represented my inexplicable happiness at the current time, and I felt as though it were my own heart I bore upon myself.

I shuffled slowly, blissful as ever, but with a small amount of frustration now tying me down to reality. Why did this place, this moment, feel so familiar to me?

Before I could truly settle my brain down, ignore the whirring sensation of all these new experiences, and think, though, something happened. The blue sky started to bubble like boiling water, and suddenly a liquid grey flew across my beautiful canvas, and the field darkened at the sun's sudden departure. The grass turned an ugly yellow, bristly and dead, and the wonderful sound left on an out-of-tune note, and disappeared. The trees, which only seconds ago had stood obediently away from the field, keeping their shadows with them, suddenly tilted towards me, casting me into darkness. I let out a small whimper of despair.

There was a rustling behind me, and I whipped around, my heart racing. My dress was no longer yellow, I registered quickly—it was a dark blue. For a moment I panicked, wondering where the sound had originated from, and a shiver ran down my spine. A whistling sound from the other direction had me turn around again and sob in horror. The whistle had been quite musical, it echoed in my head meaningfully.

I found my own voice for the first time; it quivered and shook, revealing my fear. "Edward?"

Voicing the name sent me into shock—of course, now it all made so much sense! The field, the music. But then, why was I so petrified?

The whistle had left my thoughts, I'd forgotten the sound. A hiss resounded around me, and I dropped to my knees helplessly. And all of a sudden, there he was. He stepped out from behind a tree—or, rather, slid: I didn't see him move his feet—and begin walking towards me. His face was quite calm, his stance slack. I scrambled to my feet, relief flooding through me. _Thank god, thank god._

Something rooted me to my place, though, when I stared at him a while longer. Something wasn't quite right. I ran my eyes across his face: his nose, his thin lips, his glowing skin. And then I noticed it—his eyes. Edward's eyes, they stood out against his chalky skin like lanterns. They were a blood-red.

My foot shot out behind me, and I leant back on it instinctively. Should I run?

His mouth stretched into a smile, but it was cold. Something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. And then I blinked. Another Edward stood beside the first, his pace exactly the same, their movements mimicking each other. Twins? _No_, there was a third one. In a line, three Edwards. It was as if he'd simply been mirrored, as if there were three televisions playing the same clip at the same time. I bit my lip. They weren't images, though. They were three very real, thirsty vampires.

I took another step back, but their pace was too quick. They had almost reached me. I defied all reason and let my instincts take their place at the wheel: Run, run, run! I pivoted and struck my feet against the ground. It had started to rain, and pools of mud splashed underneath me as I sprinted across the field. I couldn't hear them behind me, but I didn't rely on my ears to detect them—I knew better than that.

I kept running, but knowing me, I started to lose balance. The mud caused my feet to slide a little further, caused me to run a little faster than I should have. After a certain step, my legs gave way and buckled underneath me. I felt extreme panic rise up inside me, and my heart beat against my ribcage frantically.

_Get up, you idiot, get up! _I screamed at myself, clawing at the mud. But I couldn't stand up, and it was too late. Two cold hands grasped my shoulders, pulling me in a vice-like grip to my feet, and turning me around to face them. I braced myself—this was the end, I was sure of it.

But there was only one of them, and his eyes were their usual gold. His smile was warm, and his hands were gentle, draped on my shoulders calmly.

"Don't run," he whispered, and I felt myself begin to let go of my rationality, felt my consciousness slip away from me. It was Edward, the good guy. The one I loved.

But something didn't add up, and I jerked my arms away from his touch. I felt myself step backwards, breathing deeply, and saw his expression change again. His eyes were black this time, and his mouth wide open in a snarl. I whimpered.

"I don't love you," came the words, and I turned away from them, pained. But they hadn't been from his mouth—they'd come from mine. I ran again, and this time, I knew he wouldn't follow. I was running down a road, faster than the cars that I passed, and I knew what I wanted, where I needed to be.

He saw me first—his wicked, impish grin the first thing I noticed, the first thing I'd recognised properly during this whole ordeal. His warm arms wrapped around me and I felt safe there. And I didn't want it to ever be any different.

* * *

I woke up at that moment, gasping in the cold air. The window was open, and it was night-time. I stared around at my bed, confused for a minute, trying to regain composure. What the _hell_?

But then I started to remember the dream that I'd just experienced; it all came flooding back—every single emotion.

"Oh god," I breathed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Pff, I wish. Like this could be misconstrued as Stephenie Meyer's writing!**

**A/N: It's been a month! Aaah, so sorry! Anyways, I'm posting this for those naggy people I talked to today : Lol. Hope it's okay, it's not very long. Anyway, I'm hoping to getting back into the regime of posting regularly, let's see how that goes. Sorry again, guys, and as always, _commenters _are my favourite type of people! Hah... maybe not, but they will be regarded as royalty.**

* * *

"Gah," I moaned, waving the overly-happy face away from mine. I scrunched my eyes up in exhaustion and placed my hands over my face. I was definitely _not_ a morning person.

"Bella, hurry up." Alice's grin subsided into a worried grimace. She hadn't wanted to accompany me in the first place; my resisting her help must have frustrated her more than she let on.

"It's too early for hurrying," I said pointedly, but sat up all the same. The glare of the sun ignored my curtains and shrouded the room in light. Without the proper beams hitting her, Alice was unaffected, for which I was glad. My head thudded with ferocity, begging me to lie down.

"We're going to be late," Alice murmured nervously, wringing her hands and staring in frustration at the curtains, as if she meant to look out the window. "Please, Bella."

I harrumphed, swinging my legs around and stepping onto the floor. I shivered. The carpet seemed strangely cold. I purposely steered clear of Alice, and grabbed my jacket.

"You'd think," I muttered resentfully, shivering against the cold again, "that the sun would propel us away from the _North Pole_."

Alice's mouth stretched into a thin line, unamused. She was very close to losing her temper, I noted, and I continued picking up clothes. I held them out to her and raised my eyebrows pointedly before exiting the room.

"Ten minutes!" she called after me. I sighed in response.

I knew that it wasn't in her nature to be so short-tempered, but I understood Alice's edginess all the same. Where we were going and what we were doing was far outside her comfort zone, as much as I assured her the safety of it all. After all, she couldn't be certain herself, as she usually was, and I knew that her inability to See frustrated her deeply. All of the Cullens were anxious at the moment, and I supposed they were not to blame.

I showered, instantly relieved of my bad mood, and dressed quickly. I could almost hear Alice impatiently tapping her feet downstairs, and my fear of her leaving motivated me to hurry.

"Okay, okay!" I exclaimed, exasperated, at the sight of her face. She scowled at me and whipped around, shaking her car keys. I wasn't sure whether this was due to the tremor in her hands or not.

"Let's go," she said dismissively, not waiting to see if I followed when she hurried out the door. I had to jog to keep up with her dancer's pace.

She was waiting just outside the door, and I almost collided with her when I turned around after locking it.

"Alice?"

"Just a minute," she muttered, pressing a button on the keys. Her Porsche responded with a click, and the sun roof pulled over the car like an umbrella. Alice zipped her hoodie up and pulled the hood over her head, casting a shadow across her face. I blinked, uncomprehending, until she skipped to the car fervently and jumped inside. The sun blazed overhead.

"Oh," I breathed, everything making sense. I mentally slapped myself. _Wake up, dammit._

I hesitated at the step for a minute—jumpy vampire, fast car; they just didn't bode well with me. After a while I decided to trust Alice's reflexes, and sighed resignedly. I reasoned with myself that becoming a Porsche-Bella sandwich would be a better outcome than the day currently staring me in the face.

I thought about this for a moment as Alice stuck her keys in the ignition and revved the car, smiling a little. Edward was out hunting, thank God, but Alice and Carlisle would be there with me at the hospital today. Mixed together with Jake, Embry and Quil, and you've got an interesting experience ahead. I didn't even stop to ponder about the coma and the concerning dream—that, I promised to _never_ mention to a soul. Ever, ever, ever.

I realised with a sudden jolt that we were halfway down the street, and closed my eyes to reclaim my stomach. The colours had looked like they were melting, spinning out of control, and my insides lurched.

"So, Alice," I murmured, noticing my voice was slightly shaky. Alice obviously heard the tremors as well, because a grin was planted on her face.

"Bella," she said, mock serious, in response.

"Edward said… that he couldn't be here?" I paused for a moment, clearing my throat. In all fairness, we were speeding down the road like a rocket. Speed did not work well with my co-ordination skills, so thankfully, I was not the one behind the wheel. Regardless, my heart was skipping around my ribcage frantically.

Alice tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. The smile slid from her face and was replaced with a look of thoughtful scepticism.

"Bella, can I be honest with you?" She said the words slowly, carefully, as if she were treading across an imaginary line, a boundary, betraying some unexplained rule. My surprise didn't last long; it was soon overwhelmed by natural curiosity.

"Of course!" This time, the shakiness of my voice was from irrational excitement, and Alice frowned – not upset, but pondering.

"Edward will be angry…" Alice frowned harder, a ghost of frustration flitting across her topaz eyes. I tilted my head and stared out the windscreen for a fleeting moment. Instantly, I regretted it.

Head spinning, I replied, voice slurring, "Edward gets angry at plenty of things. It doesn't mean it shouldn't be said."

Alice tipped her head, and my mind shrieked as her eyes directed away from the road. However, the car didn't move an inch to the side, and my death-grip on the seat relaxed a little.

"True," she murmured, eyes glazed over.

We sat in silent for a moment, the car's engine purring softly in the background. I ran my fingers across the seatbelt and wondered if it would help at all. Then I turned my head to look at Alice, who I'd never known to be especially quiet, except for when…

"Alice?" I blinked. _Oh, you've got to be kidding me!_

Her eyes stared unseeingly out the window, hands slackened on the wheel, and her face lacked any expression. A vision. Greaaaat, perfect timing.

For a moment I contemplated taking the wheel. But there was no way I could manoeuvre a car at this speed. I peeked at the speedometer. The little pin glanced up at me from the very right side, sitting on a hundred miles p/h. My jaw dropped, and I felt my pulse accelerate.

"Alice? Wake up!" I shook her arm. Nothing. I took a swift peek out the window. I could jump… and most likely, be mistaken as strawberry jam by the car behind us. A grimace settled on my face at the thought.

"Alice. Alice, _AliceAliceAliceAlice_!" My voice rose several octaves.

It was lucky we were driving on the motorway, and there didn't seem to be anyone else – after all, it was past early morning traffic time, but nowhere near evening traffic. Still, I knew that the road didn't last forever, and when that road ended…

"Oh!" Alice cried, blinking. I jumped. She was shaking.

"W-What's wrong?" I stammered.

Alice didn't answer. A dark shadow crossed her face and her eyes narrowed furiously. Hands trembling, she spun the wheel as far left as it would go, and the car screeched madly, pivoting and scraping against the road.

I heard myself scream, and braced my arms against the dashboard. What the hell was she doing?

"Sorry, Bella!" Alice yelled, barely audible against the tires' protest. Her foot, already pressed to the floor, somehow managed to hit the accelerator so hard that we shot forward – from the speed we'd previously been travelling at. I couldn't see now, there were only blurs of colour, somersaulting across my vision and nauseating me.

I scrunched my eyes closed.

"What is it?" I yelled to her, which on second thought probably wouldn't have been necessary. After all, Alice hears like a zillion bats taped together and then genetically modified to have super-ultra-hearing.

She didn't answer, at first. But when her foot slammed on the brake and we both lurched forward in our seats, she didn't have to. The car came to a smoking halt, and I could see for myself the conspicuous red Mercedes that made Alice's car look like an old, rusty ute.

My jaw dropped, and I could swear my heart stopped momentarily. The windows were tinted, the silver mirrors and lights shone fiercely, and at once, I knew. No one in the little town of Forks would own such a thing – excepting the Cullens, of course, but I also knew that this car didn't belong to them. The pieces fit together quickly, and by that time, black dots were floating in front of my eyes, and sudden chills shot through me. I glanced desperately at Alice, whose head was in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "I… should've seen sooner."

"It's okay," I said, equally quiet. My head had started to spin, I couldn't think right. It didn't look like we were going to the hospital after all.

Still parked in the middle of a motorway lane, the occupants of the car stepped out – or rather, slid, for someone of their grace. Their pale hands rested on the door frames as they smiled politely out at us.

The Volturi had decided to visit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: (8) We're off to see the wizard… (8) Yeah, he's going to grant me the ownership of Twilight. But until then, I have nothing. **

**A/N: Everybody please disregard this **_**except**_**, if they're still inexplicably reading, the two nice people who stole my writing book on Friday afternoon. And to the both of you – and you know who you are! – I say HAH! As if I'd show you what I was really going to write! **

**-**

_Edward's POV_

I hadn't wanted to lie to Bella. Not again – not after last time, and the consequences that had resulted. But my worry for her safety yet again overwhelmed the aspects of right and wrong, and I had no further choice.

I knew that she would have wanted to know the truth – after all, hadn't she earned it? – and it had taken my entire reserve of willpower to ignore that, and to her face, churn out a tale of carefully woven lies. They'd tasted bitter on my tongue.

She had believed me, of course, making the ordeal even more painfully unenduring than it had already been. I had no explanation for why she still trusted me as confidently as she had eight months ago – it was beyond my understanding. After everything I had put her through, after all the hardships she'd suffered, her love for me was unshaken.

But this lie had not originally sprouted for her protection. It was for ours – my family. The fact that Bella's path in the situation intertwined with ours was pure, unfortunate coincidence.

The truth would devastate her, we were all aware. And Bella was not one to cloud her emotions and hide them from the world, even if she wished to try. If she discovered the truth, -- at this I scowled, knowing Alice far too well – our secret, our lifeline, our _only_ hope, would be useless.

For I knew something that Bella and Jacob did not.

Consequently, Carlisle had instructed all of my family, excepting himself and Alice, to stay in the house until the inevitable had occurred. The werewolves were quick to jump to conclusions and point fingers, which where already semi-quivering in our direction as it was. If we were to be out and somewhere where our actions could not be accounted for… I didn't want to linger on that thought.

I stared out the wall-length stretch of glass that was my bedroom window – or perhaps _bedroom _was an inappropriate term. Nevertheless, I tried in vain to keep my mind blank. Guilt had formed a cloud of darkness over my head for the time being, returning me to the place of darkness, only not quite so painful. It was more a place of bleak, neutral, unhappy colours – my analogy being the night sky with a few blazing stars. It was only temporary, though, because when the situation was righted, I hoped that my day lit sky – my Sun, my Bella – would reign over the darkness that I knew too well.

I turned away from the window. It wasn't helping, I needed a new distraction. I glided to the other side of the room, trying to ignore the scent that swirled around me as I moved. My throat burned angrily, and though Bella hadn't been here for several days, the intensified smell I acquired when thirsty seemed to seek her aroma out like a metal detector. It was infuriating! There was nothing here; I couldn't stay cooped up when I needed to hunt so badly.

I almost smiled at the irony; my excuse to Bella had been that very thing – I was out hunting. My thoughts lingered wistfully.

Surely the day wouldn't last much longer?

I glanced at the clock on the chestnut desk. It was almost nine in the morning. I sighed.

Suddenly Jasper's voice – the one in his head, that is – seemed much closer. I heard his smooth footsteps approach the door, and turned. His face was grave, and his body radiated melancholy. I shook it off in annoyance. He wasn't helping.

_We should have heard from them by now, _he told me through thought. I tilted my head, a barely perceptible nod, and followed him out the door. Passing a mirror frame in the hallway, I glanced at my reflection.

My eyes were like holes: dark, black, endless. The purple shadows under them were just as obvious, and the hungry snarl that uplifted one of the sides of my mouth and crinkled my nose very slightly told me that I needed to hunt more than I had originally guessed.

We both paused at the bottom of the stairs and stood in silence for a short moment. I could hear Jasper thinking – not to me, but himself – of Alice, of Bella, and of the broken treaty. The announced war seemed to bother him as much as it did me. After all, we both had someone we loved at stake.

Jasper's eyes were just as dark as my own, and I noticed a shiver ripple through him every so often. He was not so controlled at ignoring Bella's smell.

_Should we call? _He interrupted my thoughts with his own. I shrugged, trying to appear calm, but I knew before he snickered that he could sense my unease.

"Listen," I said, noticing that my voice sounded slightly raspy. Jasper's eyes flickered towards mine. "I can't stay here much longer, and neither can you. We can't starve ourselves any further… it's not benefiting anyone."

Jasper sighed. "Carlisle said—"

"Not to go anywhere our actions can't be accounted for," I cut in. "We can take evidence if you like, but I refuse to stay inside doing nothing productive. Even if all I contribute is improving my own mood, it's better than nothing."

He nodded agreeably. "I suppose you're right."

I was quite aware of the three others eavesdropping, but they made no protests. Jasper glided towards the door – his movement jerking with anticipation – and I followed.

But it seemed that our meal was not meant to be.

I heard their thoughts first, strangely foreign to my ears. Aro's in particular was layered with an Italian accent that was unmistakeable. Alice's frantic thoughts entered my head next, simply because of how attuned my mind was to hers. I heard the others – five, I estimated, maybe more – before long. Two had accents as evident as Aro's. I acknowledged them as Marcus and Caius.

Esme and Emmett were beside my side in a flash. Jasper stood, unmoving, at the door, and Rosalie lounged on the couch – her flippant attitude bothered me; there was something more to it. I filed the thought away, currently, deciding to address it later. An icy silence settled in the room as we waited.

The hushed purr of Alice's car rolled through the driveway and settled mere metres in front of the house; closer than she usually parked. Alice was obviously wasting no time. Another engine, gentler than the Porsche's, followed, and obediently stopped beside its companion.

We listened to the mild clicking of car handles and opening doors. Only one set of feet crunched through the gravel, and I exhaled in relief. Bella was with them.

The others seemed relieved, too, but it was hard to tell – their noses were wrinkled in disgust. Aro, Marcus and Caius had a strange smell; it was hideous to us, because as vampires ourselves, we were not fooled by their aromatic trap. To us, they smelled like mould – old books, elderly humans. It was a testament to how aged they really were.

Jane's scent was unusual – it was floral, feminine, but also bitter. It rammed down my throat quite violently – verifying that it was, indeed, her.

They moved slowly, still only metres outside the door, obviously acting kindly towards Bella. Their consideration was only time-consuming, in my eyes.

The essence of time was something, two years ago, I would rarely have referred to. Time was pointless – had I any need of it? – and just another human detail. For those who don't age, those who don't live every day in fear of death, time is superfluous. On occasion we would be required to count the years to back up our stories, but other than that, I cared little for it.

Yet, now, with Bella by my side – metaphorically – it seemed to rule my every step. And to Bella, time was everything. How could I ignore it, when as it faded, so did my moments with her?

But only a few weeks ago was there any true reason to fear, to _begrudge_ time. The Volturi's promise – one that I had known would not go unfulfilled – weighed down on both mine and Bella's days, our minutes.

And now, time was up. There were no more seconds, minutes, hours. The hourglass was empty, ready to be tipped over – and with it, my world.

**(I could have been really mean, and ended the chapter here. :D)**

**-**

"Aro." My voice, only minutes ago edging on raspy, had become quiet. Everything seemed colder, as if the venom in my veins was chilled, angry – ready to kill.

"Ah, Edward, my friend!" Aro's voice was as perplexingly joyous as it had been in Volterra.

I summoned a weak, pleasant smile. To anger or offend them would not be of any assistance now.

"Such a lovely home," Aro commented, mouth open, as he surveyed the room.

I glanced fleetingly at Bella, making sure she had not been hurt. She stared back at me, strangely pale. Her eyes were wide in shock and fear, and though I could not read her specific thoughts, the general idea was obvious: _What's going to happen to me… to us?_

I knew simply because the same thoughts flooded my mind like acid, seeping through every memory of myself and Bella together. The acid bubbled angrily and clouded my vision. I knew that had I any blood, it would be boiling under my cheekbones this second.

Only weeks ago – after seven agonising months – had Bella and I been reunited. I blamed myself for our time apart, but had rationalized that it was nothing, nothing compared to how much time we had left together.

That thought had been ripped out from under me, now. The Volturi would either kill her, or maim her and make her no longer my Bella. She wouldn't be the same – she would be dead, cold, different. Instead of my wonderful, vulnerable klutz, she would be strong, young and blood-thirsty. Not to mention soulless.

I seethed, watching them patrol through the rooms so casually. They acted as if it were their home, or they had at least been invited. Like they weren't about to kill one of us.

Suddenly, my eyes flashed to Alice. She'd called me in her thoughts.

_I'm sorry. _Her voice sounded small compared to her usual elated trill.

I raised an eyebrow in subtle question. How could any of this possibly be her fault? Had she detected this sooner, would it have made the slightest difference?

_I know you think we couldn't have outrun them to save our lives – or rather, Bella's – but face it, Edward, at least we would have expected it. At least we would have been prepared for—_

I held up a shaking hand to stop her. To have her finish that thought would have killed me; emotionally, at least. The thought of them carrying out such a disgusting act, it was beyond sickening. It was inconceivable. I couldn't, and _wouldn't_, believe that it was going to happen…

Alice watched me with a look that was beyond pain.

I glanced over my shoulder, ensuring that our silent conversation remained undetected, and threw her an inquiring look, which meant to say, _Have you seen anything?_

She understood. Too many years had we practised our communication. She shook her head.

_Nothing. Nothing, Edward, that's what worries me! I've been seeing _nothing_! I didn't see them coming whatsoever—once their freaking smell had practically surrounded us, what was I to do? I should have seen it, I don't understand why I couldn't… why it's not working…_

I had an idea, though I didn't let Alice know it. There was something strange about the Volturi's entire involvement, something not entirely obvious. I had a feeling that their visit was not wholly to do with Bella. There must have been another issue – something more pressing – that drew them here.

At that thought, my mood lifted slightly. Maybe Bella would not be doomed to death just yet. Perhaps they really did come here in a polite manner. Would they stay for a few days and then leave us be?

We could only hope.


End file.
